Seasonal Teas by Harvest Month

Tea Harvesting Timeline

Many of our customers are curious to know when to expect that their favorite, seasonal tea will be arriving at Tea Trekker.

The following is an approximate timeline of tea harvesting dates in China, India, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka and Taiwan based on a normal weather cycle. Of course, these dates are always subject to the whims of nature and the seasonal/un-seasonal weather patterns and conditions that affect farms and agricultural crops. Cold weather will delay plucking, and unseasonably warm weather can speed up leaf growth and the pace of plucking and manufacture by as much as a week or two. Excessive rains are problematic for harvest timing as is drought conditions.

And, for tea villages located higher and deeper in the mountains, seasonal tea production can delayed by a week or two.

FEBRUARY (late)

China: production of bud-pluck green and black tea (dian hong) begins in late February in some regions of Yunnan Province

India: the Darjeeling and Assam regions in the north begin plucking 1st flush black teas at the end-of-February into mid-March, weather depending.

Sri Lanka: The quality season for the Southern Coast districts is February, and in the Central Highland districts of Nuwara Eliya and Kandy it is February and March.

MARCH

China: weather permitting, the arrival of early spring in mid-March begins the plucking season for some premium green and yellow teas in Western China. In Sichuan Province: Mengding Mt. Gan Lu; Mengding Mt. Huang Ya and Zhu Ye Qing are plucked in mid-March.

Taiwan: early spring semiball-rolled oolong production begins in central Taiwan.

APRIL

China: April is the busiest time in eastern China for premium green teas from all of the important green tea producing Provinces. Teas such as Anji Bai Cha; En Shi Lu Yu; Huang Shan Mao Feng; Long Ding; Lu Shan arrive early to claim the Pre-Qing Mingdesignation

The 1stFenghuang Dan Cong oolongs are plucked beginning at the end of April.

Production of Lapsang Souchong and Jin Jin Mei begins in northern Fujian Province in April, as well as all the teas that make up the family of Keemun black teas.

Dian hong production in Yunnan Province begins in April and can extend into May

The leaf and bud materials for Pu-erh are plucked from old tea trees in parts of Yunnan Province from April to July.

NOTE: the spring season in China is divided up into 4 periods of time, and the harvest dates of the most anticipated green teas, such as Longjing, are associated with certain dates on the agricultural calendar. This is the breakdown for the production time based on a perfect weather season:

Pre-Qing Ming or Ming Qian tea ( leaf plucked before April 5th )

Before the Rains or Yu Qian tea ( leaf plucked before April 20th )

Spring tea or Gu Yu tea ( leaf pucked before May 6th )

Late spring or Li Xia ( leaf plucked before May 21st )

India: spring tea from the Nilgiris are manufactured in April/May.
2nd flush Darjeeling and Assam teas also begin their plucking season in April.

Japan: limited early production of the first new tea of the new uear – Shincha – may begin in late April as well as first plucked Sencha (Ichibancha) teas.

Korea: the first of the season green – Ujeon – is plucked just before Koku ( the first grain rain and the sixth seasonal division), around April 20th.

Japan: production of Sencha begins and or continues in various regions throughout May. Gyokuro tea production can begin in mid May and continue into early June depending on the location of the tea gardens.

Korea: production of Sejak occurs during Ipha ( the start of summer- around May 6th ); plucking of Jungjak follows during Soman ( full grains season around May 21st ).

Taiwan: production of high-mountain gao shan begins in the higher elevation tea gardens. Plucking may continue into early June. Manufacture of Bai Hao begns.

JUNE

Sri Lanka: the Uva district of the Eastern Highlands produces its quality season teas from June-September.

Taiwan: manufacture of Bai Hao oolong continues into June and sometimes July.

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